Christmas lunch in Australia is often eaten in the heat, with prawns and oysters, cold ham, salads and a pavlova to finish. Heavy reds that suit a European winter can feel like too much on a 30°C day. French wine still has plenty to offer: bright Champagne, crisp whites, dry rosé and light reds served a little cool. Here is how to plan the wine course by course, with a short list of bottles for each.
Start with bubbles
A glass of something sparkling as people arrive sets the tone, and it suits oysters and canapés too.
Crémant is made the same way as Champagne, with a second fermentation in the bottle, but in other French regions and from local grapes, so it tends to be fresh and fruity. Champagne usually brings more depth, with chalky, toasty notes from longer ageing on its lees. Both work for a crowd: open the Crémant as people arrive and keep the Champagne for the oysters.
- Champagne Waris-Hubert 'Estence' 1er Cru Grauves Extra Brut NV: a Chardonnay led Premier Cru Champagne with apple, citrus and grilled bread, round and lively. Lovely with a seafood platter.
- Domaine Dirler-Cadé Crémant d'Alsace Brut Nature 2022: mostly Pinot Gris, with crunchy red and green apple and no added sugar, so it is dry, light and bright. The producer is listed in the French organic register. Good with gougères or a bowl of fresh prawns.
Serve sparkling at 6 to 8°C.
Wine with a seafood Christmas lunch
Prawns, oysters, crab and cold fish need a white with freshness and no heavy oak.
Fresh acidity works like a squeeze of lemon on shellfish, and without new oak there is nothing to clash with the delicate, salty flavours of prawns and oysters.
- Clotilde Davenne Chablis 2024: never sees a barrel. Peach, lemon and oyster shell with a lively, gently smoky finish, so pour it with a dozen oysters. Serve at 8 to 10°C.
- Domaine Cruchandeau Bouzeron 'Cuvée Massale' 2024: Aligoté from the Côte Chalonnaise, dry and fresh, with citrus, white flowers and a mineral finish. Good with prawns and a charcuterie board.
- Clotilde Davenne Chablis 1er Cru Fourchaume 2023: a richer, unoaked Premier Cru with white flowers, hawthorn and peach around an iodine minerality. Made for scallops and crab. Serve at 10 to 12°C.
More on Chablis in our Chablis guide.
Wine with Christmas ham
Glazed ham is sweet, salty and smoky, so it suits a wine with fruit and freshness rather than strong tannin.
Red fruit and fresh acidity cut through the salt and pick up the sweetness of the glaze, and soft tannin keeps the smoke from tasting bitter. A dry rosé or a juicy Gamay served cool both do the job.
- Cros des Calades Le Ballon Rosé 2024: a dry rosé with strawberry, stone fruit and gentle spice. Serve at 8 to 10°C.
- Domaine Raphaël Chopin Beaujolais Lantignié 'La Savoye' 2023: a juicy Gamay with dark berries, sour cherry, raspberry and strawberry, and gentle tannin. Serve slightly cool, at 14 to 16°C.
Wine with turkey or roast chicken
A roast bird, hot or cold, sits happily with a textured white or a soft red.
Turkey and chicken are mild, so choose a white with some body or a light red with soft tannin rather than anything heavy.
- Château des Rontets Pouilly-Fuissé 'Clos Varambon' 2022: a dry, textured Chardonnay with white flowers, stone fruit, beeswax and almond. Serve at 10 to 12°C.
- Château de Villeneuve Saumur-Champigny 'Clos de la Bien Boire' 2022: a light, fresh Cabernet Franc from the Loire, with strawberry, raspberry and violet. Serve slightly cool, at 14 to 16°C.
For more matches, see what wine goes with chicken.
If you want a bigger red
Some families still want a fuller red with roast lamb or beef. Serve it a little below room temperature on a hot day.
- Domaine Duseigneur Châteauneuf-du-Pape 'Catarina' 2022: Grenache from 60 year old vines on round pebbles, sand and limestone. Cherry, sweet spice and wild southern herbs, with a long, fresh, spicy finish. One for roast lamb. Serve at 14 to 16°C, after 30 to 45 minutes in the fridge on a hot day.
Wine with dessert
A dessert wine should be at least as sweet as the dessert, or the wine will taste thin and sour, so a dry Champagne is better kept for before the meal. A lighter Sauternes suits fresh mango and stone fruit, a fruit tart or a blue cheese board.
- Domaine de l'Alliance Sauternes 'Esquisse' 2025: a lighter, livelier Sauternes from Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle, with a fresh, vibrant sweetness. Serve at 8 to 10°C.
How cold to serve wine on a hot Christmas Day
- Sparkling: 6 to 8°C, 3 to 4 hours in the fridge, or about 20 minutes in an ice bucket with ice and water.
- Crisp whites and rosé: 8 to 10°C, about 2 to 3 hours in the fridge.
- Richer whites like Pouilly-Fuissé and Chablis Premier Cru: 10 to 12°C.
- Light reds like Beaujolais, Pinot Noir and Loire Cabernet Franc: 14 to 16°C, about 30 to 45 minutes in the fridge.
- Fuller reds like Châteauneuf-du-Pape: 16 to 18°C, about 20 to 30 minutes in the fridge.
- Sweet whites like Sauternes: 8 to 10°C.
Keep an ice bucket on the table and open bottles as you need them. More tips in how to keep wine cool in the Australian summer heat.
How much wine to buy
A 750 ml bottle pours about five 150 ml glasses. At 12 to 13.5% alcohol, that bottle holds about 7 to 8 standard drinks. The Australian guidelines to reduce health risks from drinking alcohol say healthy adults should have no more than 4 standard drinks on any one day, so half a bottle per adult who drinks is the most to plan for. Put plenty of cold water and non alcoholic drinks on the table, and make sure everyone has a safe way home.
Browse our Champagne and sparkling wine, French white wine, French rosé and French red wine. For Christmas gifts, order by Wednesday 9 December.
Frequently asked questions
What wine goes with a seafood Christmas lunch?
A crisp, unoaked white such as Chablis, or Champagne.
What wine goes with Christmas ham?
A dry rosé or a light red such as Beaujolais, served cool.
Can you serve red wine on a hot day?
Yes. Choose a light red such as Beaujolais or Pinot Noir and serve it at 14 to 16°C, after 30 to 45 minutes in the fridge.
Do you deliver?
We deliver across Australia except South Australia, free from 12 bottles, or free from 3 bottles in NSW on selected wines when every wine in your cart is one of them. The cart will tell you if a wine can't go to your state.
Please enjoy responsibly.